The present invention relates to apparatus and method for the handling of roll goods, such as rolls of fabric or other webs, preparatory to the goods being unwound for further processing.
Many processes for the treatment and/or handling of webs such as fabric, films and the like, utilize the goods in roll form. Such is occasioned by the fact that the particular process or system for handling the web goods is therefore not dependent on another process, the speed of which may be greater or lesser than that of the process of concern. Moreover, particularly in the handling of textile fabrics, many different processes are involved between the formation of the fabric and the final treatment of same for its intended use. Such different and diverse processes often require movement of the goods from different locations within a plant to a further location or even between different plants. In such processes, such as the production of larger rolls of goods from small rolls, continuous in-line application of various finishes and dyestuffs to the web, tentering of the web to stabilize same, and the like, the fabric or web is fed through same and taken up in roll fashion at the exit end. Upon depletion of a roll of goods, the trailing end of a first, depleted roll is joined to the leading end of a subsequent roll to avoid rethreading of the new roll of goods to the process, and/or to avoid machine downtime.
Many techniques have heretofore been developed for joining a new roll of goods to one presently passing through a process which involves seaming or otherwise connecting the webs. Exemplary of such processes for joining two web ends are commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,700,642 and pending application Ser. No. 107,176 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,918 filed Oct. 13, 1987 in the name of William O. Young, Jr., the subject matter of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Many of the prior processes for joining two ends of a web for the further processing of same likewise include a provision for storage and/or preparation of a new roll of web goods to be available for joining to the trailing end of the prior roll as quickly and as conveniently as possible to minimize machine downtime which, if extended, may lead to alteration of process conditions to avoid damage to lengths of material then being processed.
The present invention is not concerned with any particular process for treating or handling the web goods, but instead is directed to a convenient and efficient method and apparatus for handling of the roll goods at the introduction to the process. There is no known prior art that is believed to teach or suggest the apparatus or process of the present invention.